The invention relates to a packet zigzag folded continuous length of towelling,in particularly adapted for hygienic use,such as in an apparatus for dispensing lengths of towelling.
A packet of this type is known from US-A-1.721.928, fig 4 and 5,showing a dispenser for towelling that is filled with a single packet.The towelling consist of textile material that is washed after being used and becoming soiled, after said washing the towelling being ready for another use. The use of single use paper towelling in such a dispenser is not possible,as the tensile strength of the normal paper is rather low, especially in the wet condition thereof.This causes the paper to tear off at undesired places,after which maintenance personnel has to replace the torn towelling by a fresh one,which involves extra costs and the non-availability of towelling for the user.Furthermore each packet has to be placed separately in the dispenser,which involves the threading of the fresh towelling through the dispenser which is both time consuming and requiring trained personnel.
The object of the invention is providing in a packet of zigzag folded towelling which overcomes these objections and is suitable for single use.
Another object of the invention is providing a packet of zigzag folded towelling that can easily be coupled with similar packets by non trained personnel,so that there is always an ample supply of clean towelling for the user.
This first object is reached according to the invention,in that the continuous length of towelling consists out of paper having a reinforcement for enlarging the tensile strength.Thereby no tearing of the reinforced paper can occur and the used and wetted paper towelling can easily be collected and be disposed of.
The second object is reached according to a special embodiment,in that at least one outer end layer is provided with coupling means, which are adapted for being coupled to counter-coupling means of a similar packet.According to a favorable embodiment the coupling means consist of a two sided adhesive strip,of which the one side is adhesively fastened to an outer end layer of the towelling,whereas the other side is covered with a removable non-adhesive cover strip,that is removed before coupling to an outer layer of a similar packet.
The invention will now further be elucidated referring to the accompanying schematic drawing, showing a vertical cross section of an apparatus according to the invention.
In the drawing an embodiment is shown of an apparatus for dispensing a lane shaped product, particularly adapted for hygienic use, such as towels, and is adapted for placing in a lavatory, washing or changing room and such. The apparatus comprises a body that is partly enclosed by a (non shown) removable hood. The body has a back wall 1, with which the apparatus can be hung on a (non shown) wall of for instance a lavatory space on substantially the average shoulder height. Furthermore the body comprises two side walls, of which only the back lying side wall 2 is visible. On the front side the side wall 2 has a substantially vertical front edge 3, which has on the upper end lower side a preferably backward sloping part 4 and 5 respectively. The lower side of the body is provided with a bottom 6, which has a strip 6A that slopes upwardly according to the front edge part 5. Between the end edge of this bottom part 6A and the front edge 3 an opening 7 is left free. On the back side of the body between the back wall of the bottom 5 and the lower edge of the back wall 1 the opening 8 is left free.
On the upper side of the body between the upper edge of the back wall 1 and the backwardly sloping front edge part 4 the opening 9 is left free. This opening 9 gives access to the supply chamber 10 for unused or clean product, which is in the form of one or more packets 11A, 11B, etc. The cross section of the opening 9 to the supply chamber 10 is at least as great as the cross section of this supply chamber. This supply chamber 10 is formed by the front wall 12, side walls of which only one side wall 13 is visible in the drawing, and the bottom 14. This bottom 14 is provided with an outlet slit 15, which is arranged substantially backwards of the center of the width of the bottom 14 along the complete length of the supply chamber. This outlet slit 15 is yet provided with an outlet funnel 16 for guiding the lane shaped product 17.
The lane shaped product 11A, that rests on the lower side of the supply chamber 10 on the bottom 14, comprises zigzag folded lane shaped product. From the lower side this product 17 runs through the slit 15 to the lower side of the guide roll 18, along this upwardly and to the upper lying guide roll 19, in order to run subsequently downward behind the (non shown) hood and the front edge 3. The product lane 17 leaves the front side of the house through the opening 7 and forms a downwardly pending loop 20 in the dispensing space and enters again at the back side via the opening 8.
Above the opening 8 a product lane 20 runs between a guide plate 21, which flattens the possibly creased material, and the back wall 1, in order to be guided over the rounded of upper side of the guide plate 21 to the pressure roll 22. This pressure roll 22 presses against the roll 23, on which the used product 20 is collected to a roll. The part 24 between the upper side of the guide plate 21 and the pressure roll 22 is kept pressed against the pressure roll 22 by means of the guide plate 25, which is pivotly fastened above the guide plate 21 to the inside of the back wall 1 and keeps the part 24 taut. Thus no return of the product lane is possible and transverse lane deviations are encountered. In order to be able to adapt to the variable sizes of the used material roll 23 the pressure roll is furthermore movable in a slanting upward and downward direction in the guides 26, which are fastened to the side wall of the body. Furthermore the guiding 27 ensures that the lane 24 cannot get any transverse deviations.
The guide roll 19 on the upper side of the apparatus is also vertically movable in the guiding 28.
The upper side of the product packet 11A is provided with a two sided adhesive strip 29, and also the lower side of the upper lying packet 11B. By removing the cover strip from the adhesive outside of this adhesive strip and pressing both packets together, the coupling between the upper lying end layer of the underlying packet 11A and the underlying beginning layer of the upper lying packet 11B is formed. Thereby is reached, that the user always gets an uninterrupted supply of unused or clean product 17. After this product 17 has moved into the loop 20 and is in this place used for drying the hands, the product is rolled up into the roll 23. When this roll 23 has reached suitable dimensions it can be removed from the apparatus by the service personnel. This service personnel can then also add through the inlet opening 9 one or more additional packets 11 and couple these to the already present packet. The inlet opening 9 can suitably be provided with a (non shown) removable lid or be closed of by the (non shown) hood.
As lane shaped product paper can be used that is reinforced with a fabric or fleece of synthetic material. It is however also possible to use a textile fabric from natural or synthetic fibres or of mixtures thereof.
When as lane shaped product paper has been used, the collected roll 23 will normally be thrown away. When textile material is used, this will in most cases can be used after washing.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:
the user pulls with both hands on the lame 17, where this leaves the opening 7 of the body and obtains a length of clean unused towel 20. As the rolls 13 and 23 are rotatably inter connected by (non shown) means, the used, dirty lane part 20 is automatically rolled up on the roll 23 by this pull. Furthermore (non shown) eventually adjustable means are present for adjusting the length of the towel and blocking a new dispensing during an adjustable time after the last dispensing.